THE FALLING LEAVES IN THE "OLD NORTH END" DOWNTOWN COLORADO SPRINGS

It's a beautiful fall day perfect for a drive and a few photos of some of the older homes located near downtown Colorado Springs - known as the Old North End.

THIS HOUSE BELOW is actually in Old Colorado City and was used for the filming of "The Incident" with Harry Morgan and Walter Mathau......as was my store building which was then Rogers Bar and Grill back in 1989.

I am always drawn to the little 

English Tudor Style houses: 

I love them all.

COLLECTING CUPS AND SAUCERS

What's not to love about collecting

 cups and saucers?  That's what

 I want to share today.

  I have been collecting cups and saucers since I was a child....just a few years....ha.  Most all of my childhood pieces were from Japan and mostly demitasse sized. 

I have been playing with my new camera and have so much to learn.  People come in my store every day with cameras so I have been asking them lots of questions and I find that people are very helpful.  

I have another tip - stay away from ceramic dishes as they chip very easily. Porcelain and bone china are so much stronger.  Lastly, always run your finger around the rim of the cup and the saucer.  Last year I bought some German pieces  for resale at my store from an  antique dealer in Kansas. He had stuck a price sticker over a chip on the saucer.  That wasn't so nice!  Be careful!

A FALL HARVEST CAKE

I hope you are ready for

 some lovely

 "Fall Harvest Cake".  

I have seen this recipe several places on different food blogs on line (like www.food.com) and in the Gooseberry Patch "Flavors of Fall" Cookbook.  It is a perfect bundt pan cake and frankly - I skipped the cream cheese icing.  It has chopped apple, pecans and I also added some walnuts, plus spices and pumpkin...

I set up a little table by the window for our tea and cake.  A bouquet of crab apples makes a festive arrangement.

 To bake the FALL HARVEST CAKE - preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  You will need: 1 1/2 cups of sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar, 2 Tsp cinnamon, 2 Tsp baking soda, 1/2 Tsp salt, 1/4 Tsp nutmeg, 1/4 Tsp ginger, 1 cup oil, 1/2 Tsp vanilla, 4 eggs, 16 oz pumpkin, 2 cups flour, 1 large peeled and chopped apple, 1/2 cup chopped pecans, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

DIRECTIONS:  
1.  Mix together sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, spices, oil, vanilla and eggs
2.  Add pumpkin and stir well
3.  Stir in flour - 1/2 cup at a time
4. Stir in apple and nuts

Pour into a well greased and floured bundt pan.

Bake 60 minutes at 350 degrees - let cool till only slightly warm

IF YOU LIKE - ICE WITH A CREAM CHEESE ICING OF YOUR CHOICE. 

TIME FOR FALL- BACKYARD SCENES

I am trying to practice with my new camera but have so much to learn.  I was flipping through some old Victoria Magazines and as I pointed to a lovely page I told my husband "I want to learn to take pictures like these".  It suddenly occurred to me (head light bulb on) that the photographer probably had a $5,000.00 camera.

The colors of fall 

are so vibrant.

I am sure you can tell the aperture photos here.